Tom Dodson

Web & Discovery Librarian

Assistant Professor

photo of Tom Dodson

Responsibilities

  • Subject Areas:
    • Communication 
    • Computer Science 
    • Creative Writing 
    • Digital Cinema 
    • Native American Studies 

Contact Information

Library Committees

  • Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Campus Committees

  • Disability Resources Faculty Advisory Group
  • Technology Council

Regional Committees

  • User Experience Standing Group, Orbis-Cascade Alliance
  • Primo Release Testing Group, Orbis-Cascade Alliance

Publications

Books

Edited Volumes

  • (2024). Parasite town. In J. Hovis (Ed.), WYOMING. Cantabridgian Books.
  • (2024). Keeping. In K. Somerville and S. Morgan (Eds.), Life support: Stories of health and medicine. Missouri Review Books / tmr. (Reprinted from “Keeping,” 2021, The Missouri Review, 44(1), 21–42, https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/mis.2021.0004).
  • Dodson, T. (Ed.). (2015). Best Indie Lit New England, Vol. 2: 2012–2014. Somerville, MA: Black Key Press.
  • Dodson, T. (Ed.). (2013). Best Indie Lit New England, Vol. 1: 2010–2012. Somerville, MA: Black Key Press.

Essays & Scholarly Writing

  • 2024. Data Dilemmas: Sinnreich and Gilbert Examine the Impacts of Data. [Featured review of the book The secret life of data: Navigating hype and uncertainty in the age of algorithmic surveillance by A. Sinnreich & J. Gilbert.] Choice 62(2).
  • 2023. [Review of the book The Chicago guide to copyediting fiction by Amy J. Schneider.] Choice 61(3).
  • 2023. [Review of the book How to tell a story: an ancient guide to the art of storytelling for writers and readers by Aristotle, tr. and introd. by Philip Freeman.] Choice 60(9).
  • 2023. [Review of the book Climate Change in Popular Culture: A Warming World in the American Imagination by James Craig Holte.] Choice 60(7).
  • 2023. [Review of the book Climate Lyricism by Min Hyoung Song.] Choice 60(3).
  • 2022. [Review of the book Genre and Extravagance in the Novel by Jed Rasula.] Choice 60(1).
  • 2022. [Review of the book Refuse To Be Done by Matt Bell.] Choice 59(12).
  • 2022. "Rethinking the Craft of Fiction Writing: Resources on Teaching and Learning Creative Writing." Choice 59(6). (Expanded manuscript version available at thomasadodson.com).
  • 2017. “Structure, Perspective, Editing: A Writer’s Favorite Books on Craft.” The Review Review, January 30.
  • 2017. “From the Library to Las Vegas: The Role of Research in the Writing Process.” Tishman Review 3(1):123–126.
  • 2013. “The Poetics of Presence.” Printer’s Devil Review 3(1): 62–71.
  • 2003. The Politics of Impossibility: A Socio-symbolic Analysis of Society, Identification, and Ideology. Master’s Thesis, Ohio State University.

Selected Presentations

  • Cover, L., De La Fuente, L., Dodson, T., Pearson, E., Peterson, A., Pirog, A., & Veldhuisen, C. (2024, June 4). How do our users feel, and how do we know? [Online Conference Session]. DUX Program Days 2024.
  • 2022. EPUB 3.0 & accessibility. Presented online May 24, 2022 at Code4Lib 2022.
  • 2022. Ebooks & accessibility. Presented online March 25, 2022 at the 2022 Online Northwest conference.
  • 2022. Dodson, T. & Gabriel, H. Defending Your Rights: Author Agreements & Open Access. Presented online March 25, 2022 at the 2022 Online Northwest conference.
  • 2015. An Introduction to Responsive HTML Email. Oral presentation at NERD Summit, University of Massachusetts, MA.
  • 2013. DIY E-Books. Oral presentation at Harvard University, MA.

Creative Work

Short Stories

  • 2023. “The Watchman.” The Cincinnati Review 20(1).
  • 2021. “Keeping.” The Missouri Review 44(1): 21–41. doi:10.1353/mis.2021.0004.
  • 2019. “All at Sea.” Gulf Coast 31(1): 56–68.
  • 2017. “The Master of Sleep.” Chicago Quarterly Review 25:41-51.
  • 2016. “Ghost Bike.” Beloit Fiction Journal 29:62–74.
  • 2015. “Two Valleys.” Consequence Magazine 7:69–81.
  • 2014. “The Death of Elpenor.” Chicago Quarterly Review 18:150–157.
  • 2013. “Evidence of Harm.” Conium Review 2(2):17–35.
  • 2012. “Creek People.” Beloit Fiction Journal 25:52-65.

Digital Projects

Interviews

Professional Memberships

  • American Library Association
  • Association of College & Research Libraries
  • Association of Writers & Writing Programs

Education

  • MFA, Iowa Writers’ Workshop, 2020
  • MLIS, Kent State University, 2008
  • MA, Comparative Studies, The Ohio State University, 2003
  • BA, English, Missouri State University, 1999

Honors & Awards

  • Iowa Short Fiction Award, 2022
  • Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize, Missouri Review, 2020
  • Iowa Arts Fellowship, 2018
  • Finalist, Hamlin Garland Award for the Short Story, 2020
  • Finalist Glimmer Train’s Short Story Award for New Writers, September/October 2017
  • Richard Bjornson Graduate Essay Award, 2002
  • OSU University Fellowship, 2001

Experience

  • Instructor, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, developed and taught "Writing Fiction," Winter 2022.
  • Adjunct Assistant Professor, Creative Writing, University of Iowa, 2020
  • Editorial Assistant, Iowa Review, 2019–2020
  • Web Developer & Designer, Harvard Library, 2013–2017
  • Program Coordinator, Office for Scholarly Communication, Harvard University, 2008–2013
  • Reference Librarian, Tisch Library, Tufts University, 2008–2013